Student Profiles

Our students

Twenty four students from Australia and around the world enrolled in the first intake of US Studies in 2008. This number rose to over 35 students in 2009.

Our students are incredibly diverse and talented. They range in age from recent graduates to mature-age students, with experience that includes teaching, law, government and media, among other professions. Our students hail from Australia, the Americas, Europe and Asia, enriching each other with a wide range of perspectives on the US.

Laura Crommelin

Laura Crommelin worked for a number of years in competition and telecommunications law before deciding to move from Melbourne to join the Masters program. She holds a combined BA/LLB with a major in French. She is a recipient of a Susan B Anthony scholarship.

"I find the range of topics covered in the program fascinating - while learning about the US, I am also learning about disciplines that I never had a chance to study during my undergraduate degree (finance, foreign relations, cultural studies, history, psychology ... the list goes on). In this way, as well as gaining expertise in issues affecting the US, I'm broadening my understanding of other nations, of Australia, and even of myself!

Another great aspect of the Masters program is the clever course structure and the close interaction between students and staff. I appreciate the flexibility and responsiveness of the academics involved in the program. They seem just as keen to learn from us as we are from them."

Matthew Cross

Matthew Cross has worked and studied legislative and electoral politics. He has previously worked for a Federal Government Minister and on a number of State and Federal campaigns, including the 2004 US presidential election in Washington DC. He holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Sydney. Matthew is pursuing a Master of US Studies and is a recipient of a Susan B Anthony scholarship.

"The US Studies program is the only academic program in Australia that focuses on the US in a detailed and analytical manner. The opportunity to meet and work with academics, business leaders and like-minded students is unique.

As a proud Australian citizen who has an interest in the US, it is great to study about the US looking at it from an Australasian and international point of view. Completing a Masters in US Studies will give me the confidence and skills to apply and undertake academic and business opportunities internationally."

Dean Fernandez

Dean works as a government lawyer and holds a combined Arts/Law degree from the University of Technology Sydney. He has previously worked as an intern for the NSW Minister for Citizenship and Aboriginal Affairs and represents clients from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds on a daily basis. He is undertaking a Master of US Studies and is a recipient of the Rosa Parks Scholarship.

"As a US politics and history junkie, there is really no other place to get your fix than at the US Studies Centre. The program caters to those who have a passion for public debate and democracy, and this enthusiasm contributes to the collegiality among students, staff, and visiting guests and dignitaries. The Centre is ambitious in its goals and offers students incredible opportunities to meet and interact with leading figures from the US and Australia. In my case, all those many years spent reading about the presidents, the Supreme Court, and Congress did not go to waste. What was once a mocked-about hobby has now become a vocation. The program has opened up many more opportunities."